PESHAWAR: A local court on Friday gave the police one-day remand of an Afghan man, arrested on charges of displaying his country’s flag for provoking the general public.

The young man named Naimat, an Afghan national and presently residing at Tajabad area, was arrested on Thursday by officials of the University Town police station when a picture of the man displaying an Afghan flag on a billboard near Board Bazaar area went viral on social media.

An FIR was registered against him under section 153-A of Pakistan Penal Code, dealing with offence of promoting enmity among different groups through words or by signs or by visible representation or otherwise.

The suspect was produced before court of a judicial magistrate.

The police officials requested the court for his physical custody stating that they had to ascertain the real motive of the suspect behind displaying the Afghan flag.

The suspect had displayed the flag on Aug 12. The police alleged that the suspect deliberately displayed the flag on the occasion of Pakistan Independence Day with a motive to create hatred among Afghan refugees and Pakistani citizens on ethnic grounds.

Published in Dawn, August 17th, 2019